idolpro | Izanagi's Heart Game

This place is no less exquisite than the rest of the place. The many books contain all kinds of information, with quite a few shelves taken up by texts on biology, human genetics, and medicine in particular. Off to the side is a desk upon which five journals sit, each emblazoned with a name - the names of all characters currently perusing this place, in fact. Pens are also available, chained to the desk but well within reach of the books' pages. It would be a fascinating place to sit and study... if it weren’t for the wild roses growing out of one of the shelves, the flowers beginning to obscure the books it holds.

There’s some scattered books set on tables and chairs around the area, and some things of note with the shelves other than the plant life. You can return to the hallways from here.

The wild roses have reached the desk upon which the explorers’ books lay.

[...eyes the roses, even as he sits down by the desk to look at the journals.

if there's one with his name on it, he'll pick it up to have a look through it]

The first page contains a profile:

Duality, a member of future is now. He was a hero in training according to his memories. I’m not sure how he plays in games, but I can’t imagine he plays hard unless he has to. I’m not sure if there are any units he tends to protect, either.

The text begins in a neat print, shifting to something a little more handwritten as the words continue.

He knows - but he still insists on being friends. I can’t say I understand why, but it won’t kill me to be nice. But somehow, he’s the one who doubts his own kindness. It’s likely got something to do with his family situation.

There are a few more blank pages, and then the beginning of a timeline listing out the times in which Duality and Izanagi interacted. The line stretches on to the end of the book with plenty of blank space after the current day, eventually ending in a notch marked with Graduation.

[... yeah he knows who this is now. and this lines up with what he knows about how Izanagi feels about friendship. he sighs a little bit.

should he even write in this journal?]

[The power is his! Although if he wants to think on it, there's some other stuff to look at in here too.]

[he'll put the journal down for now, looking at the roses again, before he reaches out to touch one of them. do they give off any sort of feeling?]

[No particular feelings, but he might notice that they're extremely vibrant. Like, even if he tries to move them, they just shift right back to where they were.]

[HM. plant invasions.

he'll get up and move over to the shelves to see what else he can find]

There’s so many books, what stands out most is... actually the absence of books. It seems there’s a ten volume series, but three volumes are missing: 3, 6, 7

[oh!

okay so gonna go look for the scattered books and see if any of those are the missing volumes]

You find three books on a table! Should you examine the spines, you will note a few things:

The Blue book has this shape on it.
The Green book has this shape on it.
The Orange book has this shape on it.

Edited 2021-01-24 22:18 (UTC)

[...well that's not super helpful...

...wait.

...

okay he's putting the green book where vol 3 should be, orange where vol 6 should be and blue where vol 7 should be.

hah!]

You’re deep underwater, and you are terrified.

Though you can breathe, it’s so, so deep, it’s pitch black, wet and freezing cold. No matter how much you look around, no matter how much you strain your eyes against that darkness, you are certain; you’re completely, utterly alone here.

You've forgotten how to see.

There is nothing left in this world.

You don't float, here. You're simply underwater - leagues beneath the sea. Deep, deep, deep down below, where nobody can hear you.

Nobody will ever hear you again.

The color here isn't merely dark blackness - it's something that pierces your soul. The sort of thing that threatens to tear you apart and make you as if you never existed

And the whole time, the words echo in your mind:

Never forget,
that when you feel happiness or joy,
it will never last long.

All things expire in the end. All things return to null.

When day is bright,
alway remember horrible night.

...Or at least, that's the scene you believe yourself to be in for a brief moment. Once you return to the present, you find yourself in the library still, surrounded by shelf after shelf full of books. And, should you check, your badge is glowing faintly as one of the fragments goes from clear to blue.

You've found another Fragment.

There is also a book in your hands with the name Hizumi Mizushiro emblazoned upon it.

[... he has to give himself a moment, leaning with a hand against the bookcase, taking a deep breath because okay wow no.

it takes him another long moment before he slides down to sit on the floor on his knees and take a look at the book, finally, opening it]

The first page contains a profile:

Hizumi Mizushiro. 16. Clone of Yaiba Mizushiro. The Devil, fated to destroy humanity. Life expectancy: 18-19 years. Complications due to the cloning process have resulted in genetic abnormalities leading to decreased functionality of internal organs until death. Other than organ failure, the only other possible cause of death is by Ayumu Narumi.

The text begins in a neat print, shifting to a handwritten scrawl as the words continue.

Created with high charisma and intelligence to draw in friends and companions to assist in the destruction of humanity upon reaching adulthood. As the Devil, I can’t connect with others. But even a fake relationship is better than none at all.

I don’t want to be abandoned again. But I can’t be saved, either. So I’ll maintain what I can get to avoid that dark loneliness again. If I try to wish for things that can’t be granted, I won’t be able to hold it together anymore.

It would be so much easier if I could accept death.

I wish I could have been saved.

There are a few more blank pages, and then the beginning of a timeline listing out events in Hizumi’s life: Birth, transferal to a foster family, meeting Kiyotaka Narumi, studies, travels, meeting Ayumu, final meeting with Ayumu, and then his time spent in Imeeji. The line stretches on to the end of the book with plenty of blank space after the various games and events he’s participated in, eventually ending in Graduation > Return Home > Death.

[...

ow.

why can't he just. go to someone else's world after graduation? others have done that, haven't they?]

[Mysterious. Still, there's a desk with pens if he wants to try making any edits to this or his own book.]

[getting back to his feet, he brings the book back to the table with him.

he sets to cross over "go home" and "death" first and then he makes a note at the end of the timeline in the book.

Go to another world to find a solution. and to the side in the margin of the scrawl, he simply writes I think I've connected with you and I'm grateful for that.

then he closes that book and puts it at the center of the desk before he picks up his own to add a few more words at the end of the text Izanagi has written about him.

I insist because you're kind and I enjoy your company.

I was created as a legacy of my father, with only his ambition and goal in mind. I have three siblings before me who were deemed "failures". I'm still scared I'll grow up to be like him, but... I know I'm my own person too. And it helps to have friends encourage me. Like you did. Why would you be nice to me if you didn't consider me a friend?]

Edited 2021-01-24 22:39 (UTC)

[The words are written. Maybe they'll make a difference...

Although those wild roses do seem intent on climbing their way over the books, too. That's probably not great.]

[okay no that won't do.

he'll try a drop of poison on the roses too]

[Must like the gorse flowers, they immediately shrivel up, crumbling away to dust. The library is now clear!]

[... well...

it seems he's done here, so he'll return to the hallway]

[Whisper whisper whisper]

Izanagi's Heart Game - Session #3

Library

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Re: Library - cw: suicidal ideation

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Re: Library - cw: suicidal ideation